


The World

by Fieryflamess



Series: Julian's Route [17]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:42:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28557069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fieryflamess/pseuds/Fieryflamess
Summary: It's the final showdown against the Devil—with some little hurdles along the way.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Series: Julian's Route [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877557





	The World

### Towards Tomorrow

The Devil was waiting, somewhere beyond that gate. His plan to merge the realms was in disarray, but he would never stop trying. Not unless Ryuhiko bound him. It wouldn't be easy, but at least he wouldn't be alone. Julian, Portia, Asra, Nadia, Nazali, and Mazelinka stood by his side. Together, they stepped over the threshold and into the Devil's realm.

Crimson light bathed the realm. It was hard to see the boundary between sand and sky. Even though there was no sun, stifling, feverish heat pressed down on Ryuhiko like a physical weight. Every inch of the scorched, barren landscape radiated hostility.

"Well, this, uh, this is a real friendly place, isn't it?" Julian said.

"Perfect spot for a vacation." Nazali joked.

"I don't know... I hear Prakra has better beaches." Asra said.

At the center of the realm was a hill, crowned by towering rock arches. Stormclouds churned above it. It seemed to beckon Ryuhiko, like a twisted black claw.

"There. The Devil's waiting for us." Ryuhiko said.

"How... ominous," Nadia said.

"Sooo, what're the odds that he'll just let us walk up to him and bind him?" Portia asked.

The ground convulsed under their feet, and rock pillars and plateaus burst from the ground. With a terrible groan, a chasm opened up ahead and filled with a viscous, dark red liquid.

"Pasha! You jinxed it!" Julian said.

"Did not!"

Ryuhiko approached the edge of the river. It boiled sullenly, wisps of steam rising from its surface. The air was hot and so thick with the smell of copper that it coated his tongue. Some scene briefly flashed before his eyes, but he shook it off and covered his nose. Portia joined him, eyes wide with wonder.

"Whoa, is that blood? That's seriously freaky. And awesome!"

"Pasha, get back from there!" Julian grabbed her shoulder, pulling her away from the edge.

"Hey, let go!" Shaking off his grip, Portia whirled, planting her hands on her hips. "What was that for?!"

"What did you want me to do, let you fall?"

"I wasn't going to fall! Everything was fine! Ryuhiko, back me up here!"

"Whoa, whoa. Why are you asking me to take sides?" Ryuhiko asked. "Portia was fine. She wasn't in any danger of falling. But—"

"See?!"

"Well, I mean... I was just worried, Pasha! Can you blame me? It's a river of boiling blood!" Julian emphasized.

"Ugh, you're always like this! 'Ohh, Pasha, don't do this, it's dangerous. Pasha, don't do that, what if you get hurt?'" She mimicked Julian's inflection with a nasal falsetto that hurt Ryuhiko's ears. He could feel a headache starting.

"It's my job to protect you—"

"No, it's not! I'm not a kid anymore!"

"If you aren't a kid, why are you acting like one?" Mazelinka joined.

"Yeah, Pasha, why—" Julian tried to say.

"You too, Ilya! Both of you knock it off!" Mazelinka waved her spoon while she scolded them.

Nazali abruptly stepped in, grabbing her wrist. "Stop that! Someone's going to lose an eye!"

"Getcher hands off me!"

"All of you! Calm down!" Nadia ordered.

But it was no use. Julian and Portia were screaming at each other in earnest.

"Shut up! You SON OF A B—" Portia was screeching.

" _PASHA!_ You don't get to talk about our mother like that!" Julian bellowed back. "You don't even REMEMBER her!!!"

Portia was silent for a long moment. Then she teared up. "...I ...I'm going to WRING YOUR STUPID NECK!"

"I _said_ , CALM! DOWN!" Nadia yelled.

Asra sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. "Why are they fighting, anyways?"

Ryuhiko felt a flash of irritation. It was just like Asra to make snide comments instead of helping. He opened his mouth to say as much, and the words died in his throat. Why _were_ they fighting? Portia and Julian must have had their share of fights, but this was unusually vicious. Something wasn't right. Suspicious, he cast his senses outward. There. A flicker of red, on the edge of his perception. It was coming from the realm itself. Bitter, resentful energy that fanned the flames of conflict.

Now that he knew what to look for, he could tell that the magic rolling over him wasn't natural. But he was the only one who'd noticed. Everyone was screaming at each other, but no one was hearing. Talking wouldn't work, but maybe magic would. And hopefully, before he could succumb to the tears welling up in his eyes.

If it was in the air, then Ryuhiko knew just the thing. Magic leaped to his fingertips. A frosty breeze blew away the red haze, cooling everything down. Everyone stopped where they were, their screaming going abruptly quiet.

"Is everyone done shouting?" He spoke shakily, wiping at his tears.

"W-whoa. What was that?" Portia stuttered.

"The Devil's magic. The realm is trying to make us fight each other, so I forced it back."

"Oh. That—that makes sense. If we're fighting each other, we aren't fighting the Devil." Asra said, embarrassed.

Julian cleared his throat awkwardly. He looked sheepish and more than a little chastised. "Devil's magic or not, are, uh... Are we good, Pasha?"

"Yeah. We're good." Portia confirmed. "But you owe me a beer when we get home!"

"I'll buy the first round if you get the second."

The tension dissipated as if it was never there. Ryuhiko let out a sigh of relief, wiping the last of his tears away.

"Ryuhiko may have foiled the Devil's magic, but we still have a problem," Nadia said. "How are we to cross this river?"

"I think I can raise a bridge with everyone's help," Ryuhiko said. The spell would be impossible to do alone or in the real world, but there it might just work.

"Ooh! Does this mean I get to help with magic?! I've never done magic before." Portia said excitedly. "Uh, how _do_ I do magic?"

Ryuhiko offered her his hand. She grabbed onto it, her face lighting up in excitement. "Do you feel that?"

"I... Oh! That tingly feeling? Yeah!"

"Magic is about willpower. Just focus on that feeling, and if you believe hard enough, a bridge will appear."

"Believing the impossible, huh? Alright, let's give it a try!"

The others gathered around them, adding their strength to his. He reached out, his magic seeping into the stone. The realm itself resisted, pushing back against him. The Devil didn't want to let them pass. But, little by little, the tide turned in his favor. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath and _shoved_. A stone bridge erupted from the river, blood cascading off its sides in sheets. But just as quickly, it started to shudder, disintegrating at the edges.

"Run for it!" Julian yelled.

They broke their grip on each other and sprinted across the bridge. Chunks of stone fell into the boiling river, hissing and steaming as they sunk. Lungs burning and heart pounding, Ryuhiko just barely reached the other bank in time.

"Mazelinka!" Portia cried.

Ryuhiko whirled around just in time to see Mazelinka lose her footing as the last of the bridge crumbled. On instinct, he lunged, grabbing her arm. Asra dropped to his knees next to him and grasped her other arm.

"Hang on!" Asra told her.

Ryuhiko pulled as hard as he could, but he didn't have a good grip. He could feel Mazelinka slipping away. Then Julian grabbed his shoulders, and Nadia got a grasp on the back of Asra's shirt.

"Got you!" Julian said.

"Pull!" Nadia said. With a great heave, they pulled Mazelinka up to solid ground.

"Are you alright?" Ryuhiko asked, two seconds away from checking over her for injuries.

"Bah! I'm fine. I must be getting too old for this nonsense." Mazelinka said.

"Nonsense," Nazali said. "You'll be running circles around us whippersnappers for years to come."

"We'd better get moving. It isn't safe to stay in one place for too long." Asra reminded them.

They were close. But as soon as Ryuhiko took a step forward...? The desert seemed to elongate, the hill receding rapidly into the distance. Wizened trees burst up through the ground, showering them with sand and pebbles. A murky purple liquid bubbled up between their roots.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me!" Julian sounded exasperated. As the words left his lips, gravity twisted violently around them, and Ryuhiko's stomach flipped.

"Grab something and hang on!" Asra called out.

Ryuhiko grabbed blindly for a tree trunk, closing his eyes to try and stave off the rush of vertigo. His head thumped against it, making him wince, but grip harder. For a long, dizzying moment, he couldn't tell which direction was up. Then the sense of motion seemed to settle. Cautiously, he cracked open one eye. They were upside down. Or else the realm was. Above their heads, the swamp gurgled faintly. Below, there was nothing but sky.

"Is anyone else just a little, tiny bit scared of heights?" Portia swallowed, voice shaking.

Ryuhiko only looked down for an instant before he quickly averted his gaze, clinging harder to the tree. "Right there with you, Portia." He was not doing _that_ again.

"Ohhh no." Julian gulped. "No, no, no. This is not what I wanted to be doing today."

Ryuhiko stared dubiously across the swamp, to the hill in the distance. How were they supposed to get there? Something dripped onto his shoulder. He almost didn't register it until it started to burn. He winced again, wiping it off hastily and looking up. The swamp was starting to drizzle on them, caustic liquid sizzling against the trees and vines.

"We need to move fast!" Asra said urgently.

"Alright, then. I've never tried to do this upside-down before, but let's see if this works!" Nazali grabbed hold of a vine, and with a loud whoop, kicked off from their tree. They swung across to the next tree and landed on another branch. "Ha, I've still got it!"

It was terrifying, but it beat staying still. Taking a deep breath, Ryuhiko grabbed a vine. Before he could think better of it, he jumped, swinging across the gap. For a moment, he was afraid he wouldn't make it, and then he landed safely. Behind him, Portia was struggling to grab a vine just out of her reach. Julian opened his mouth, doubtless to make a joke—

"Go on, say it." She challenged. "I dare you."

"Errrrrrr, uh. Say what? I wasn't going to say anything." Julian quickly backtracked.

"Perhaps I may be of assistance?" Nadia landed on Portia's branch, as surefooted as if she were walking on a Vesuvian street.

"Not unless you can make that jump for me, milady," Portia said.

"That was the idea." In one graceful move, she scooped Portia up into her arms.

"Oh! I uh. I- th-thank you." She stammered. Nadia caught a vine and leaped, swinging to the next tree.

Ryuhiko looked at Julian to find Julian staring back, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Oh no.

"Oh, I wish _I_ had a dashing hero like that..." Julian all but subtly hinted.

Ryuhiko rolled his eyes and swung to Julian's branch. "Alright, alright."

He laughed, holding out his arms to him. "My brave Ryuhiko, here to save the day!"

He picked Julian up, doing his best to corral the doctor's long limbs as he swooned against him. Julian wound his arms around the magician's neck and his legs around his waist, pressing close.

"Ohhh, darling, you sweep me right off my feet."

"You aren't scared that I'll drop you?" Ryuhiko asked.

"How could I be scared of anything when you're here?"

It was amazing what his words did to Ryuhiko. Any nerves he was feeling were washed away by a surge of boundless confidence. "You owe me big time, love. Hang on tight!"

He didn't look down or hesitate. If he did, then fear might have caught up to him. So he grabbed hold of a vine and pushed away from the tree, letting gravity and momentum carry him in a graceful arc. Adrenaline and exhilaration rushed through him, and he couldn't help but laugh. Julian whooped aloud, clearly sharing his sentiment.

"Hey, you two! Having fun?" Portia teased. As they swung past, he caught a glimpse of Nadia's smile and Portia winking at the two men.

"Absolutely! What about you, Pasha?" Julian answered.

"Yeah! This adventuring stuff is great!"

"Really? Poison swamp and boiling blood and all?"

"Well... I can take or leave the 'saving the world from a giant goatman' part. But I've always wanted to go on wild adventures in far-off lands."

"Really?" Nadia deftly dodged a splash of the liquid and ducked under a tangle of vines. Ryuhiko had no idea how she was doing that so effortlessly—especially when it took all his concentration not to fall. "Then, I know this isn't the time, but... I have a question for you, Portia. There's an exotic animal rescue on the outskirts of Vesuvia. It's been vacant for some time. Nasmira offered to assist with it, but she has duties elsewhere, so she cannot be its director. Would you be interested in the job?"

Ryuhiko almost lost his grip on a vine in his shock, and he landed a little more roughly on the next branch. Julian didn't even notice the jostling, all of his attention fixed on his sister. , Ryuhiko could just barely hear it.

"Pasha! You'd better say yes, or so help me—!" Julian hissed.

Portia opened and closed her mouth a few times, clearly torn. "Milady! I-I'd love to, but what about you?"

"I've been very grateful for your work at the palace, Portia. But I know you don't want to be a servant forever. You mustn't hold yourself back for my sake." Nadia said. "I hereby release you from my service. The rescue is yours. Though I suppose the paperwork will need to wait 'til we're safely back at the palace."

"I-I don't know what to say. Milady, I..."

Julian leaned away from Ryuhiko, cupping his other hand over his mouth. "Thank you! Start with thank you!"

"Shut up, Ilya!"

"Julian!" Ryuhiko hastily steadied them before he could lose his balance and fall off the branch. He hunched over Julian as some of the poisonous bog dripped onto his back. He quickly covered up his pained expression.

"Sorry, love, couldn't resist! What's the point of having a sister if I can't tease her?"

Amused despite himself, he sighed at him, reaching for another vine. "Maybe you should wait until we're on solid ground again."

"Why, Ryu, that sounds like a sensible idea, and you know I'm allergic to those. Besides! Ah, just look at them. What I wouldn't give to see Pasha smile like that all the time."

Nadia and Portia were engrossed in conversation. They seemed totally unconcerned with the poison swamp overhead or the empty expanse below. Ryuhiko couldn't help but smile at the delighted look on Portia's face.

Mid-swing, Asra shouted in alarm. "Look out!"

The bottom dropped out of Ryuhiko's stomach, and he was falling, the world spinning around him. In all the confusion, he lost his hold on Julian. When the world finally settled around him, he was lying on his back, in the sand.

"Ryuhiko! Darling, are you alright? Anything hurt?" Julian fussed, helping Ryuhiko to his feet. Everyone else was picking themselves up, too, groaning and wincing.

"I'm sore, but I'll live..." Ryuhiko said, stretching a bit. That was when his back started to burn again, but Julian didn't need to worry.

"Good, good, glad to hear it. Because, ah. If I'm not mistaken, we're finally here."

Ahead of them was the hill, the stone arches atop it stretching into the sky like teeth. There were no more tricks, no more obstacles. All that remained was the Devil himself. Julian took Ryuhiko's hand and squeezed. Ryuhiko squared his shoulders, determined. He didn't need to say anything. He just had to believe that the seven of them would be enough. Together, they climbed the hill.

At the top, the stone arches opened up around them to...? Well, not a throne _room,_ exactly. It was too open, too chaotic, to be a room. The horizon seemed to undulate in his peripheral vision. Whenever he blinked, it felt like the whole room had shifted a few degrees outward, or else he'd shifted inward. The only thing that remained static was a stone dais, the jet-black throne room atop it, and the Devil himself, standing at the edge of the platform.

"There you are, you big ugly goat! Put 'em up!" Portia leaped forward, only to be yanked back unceremoniously by Mazelinka.

"Ahhh. You've arrived. And in good spirits, at that." The Devil said.

"You, uh, you sound awfully pleased about that," Julian said nervously.

"Well, of course. I expected you to fall at the first hurdle. And yet, here you are. I do so enjoy surprises." He strolled to his throne and sat, looking utterly relaxed. As if he was simply entertaining guests. "Now... as pitiful as your attempts to interfere are, you have become an unwelcome nuisance. But I abhor unnecessary conflict. So I will offer you one last chance. Turn around and leave. So long as you do not interfere with my plans, I will not pursue you."

His head held high, Ryuhiko met the Devil's unblinking gaze. "We haven't come this far to back down now. We're going to stop you."

The Devil threw his head back and laughed, a dark rumble that shivered through the cavernous space. "My, my. Do you really think that you have even the slightest bit of hope of stopping me? Your hubris will be your downfall."

A terrible wind howled through the arches, carrying a discordant, wailing chorus. Hundreds of voices lamented their fate, their foolishness in challenging the Devil. The gale reverberated in Ryuhiko's chest and shuddered in his bones. Blackness flickered at the edges of his vision. Through the haze, he caught a glimpse of Asra. He raised his hands, magic flaring brightly in the air. And just like that, the wind died. A bubble of silence surrounded them.

"You'll have to do better than that." Asra boasted.

The Devil sighed with the gentle condescension of a teacher correcting a wayward pupil. "And you ought to know better than to waste your energy so early. After all, you'll need it to protect our dear, foolish Ryuhiko. Bringing your body here...? I underestimated your recklessness, it seems."

Ryuhiko's breathing sounded painfully loud in the silence. Nobody else was hit as hard as he was. He forced himself to stand straight, though his legs felt like jelly and his heart pounded. "Some things are worth the risk."

"So you would throw away your life, for... what? Glory? Power? If you want those things, you need only ask. I can give you whatever you desire."

"No." He reached out without looking. Julian took his right hand; Portia, his left. Everyone gathered behind him. "I'm here for my friends, my family, my world. For our future. You can't give us that. We'll seize it for ourselves." With every word he spoke, their combined magic built, crescendoing ever higher.

"How very _human_ of you. Ever so shortsighted and short-lived." The Devil lifted a black clawed hand.

Chains flashed into existence around their bodies. Before Ryuhiko could get his bearings, the chains pulled taut. They were all sent stumbling away from each other.

"Ryu!" Julian cried.

"Gah! Fight fair, you bastard!" Mazelinka said.

The Devil laughed and held up his empty hands. "Me? I'm not doing anything."

The chains weren't coming from the Devil, or even from his realm. They were coming from _them_.

"You know, Ryuhiko, we do have our similarities after all. We bind others to ourselves. Tie their fates, inextricably, to our own. If you weren't a terrible person in your old life, you certainly are now. There's just one difference. My subjects know who holds the chains."

He snapped his fingers. Feelings that weren't his own bombarded Ryuhiko: Nazali's fear, Julian's pain, Portia's insecurity. The weight of it all crushed him to the unforgiving floor, forcing his breath from his lungs. He could barely—just barely—see the others buckling under the pressure as well. How could he do that to them?

"Look at you. None of you are in control, and so you only hurt each other. Your bonds make you weak and confused. You crush yourselves under the weight of your misguided attachments. And now they will be your downfall."

It hurt to breathe. But somehow, Ryuhiko found the strength to speak. "Shut up." The words hung in the air for a long, tense moment.

The Devil slowly turned, that burning gaze fixing on him. "Excuse me?"

"I said, shut up. It's not just fear and pain we share. It's hope. Joy. Love. All the things that make us human, all the things you'll never have. These bonds aren't a burden. They're our strength." With each word, the chains binding him grew lighter and lighter. And he realized they weren't chains at all. In a flash of light, they transformed into golden ropes, shining in the dark.

"It hardly matters. Even a powerful ant is still an ant."

Black flames came crashing down on Ryuhiko like a wave. The Devil meant to kill him where he stood. He brought all the magic he had to bear. The flames caught on the crescent edge of a shield. It wouldn't hold for long, but he didn't need it. With both hands, he grasped the golden ropes. They may not have been the same as the Devil's chains, but he bet they could bind him just the same. Power and agony roared through his body, an uncontrollable storm of magic that threatened to tear him apart. It was all he could do to hold himself together. He could feel himself cracking from the strain.

Magic this powerful wasn't meant to be used that way. Not in a body so fragile, by a mind so human. He—he couldn't do it. Thunder boomed, and the realm cast into darkness. His shield broke under the onslaught.

"And after all that fuss... this is all you can muster? Pathetic." The Devil said.

The flames around Ryuhiko pressed greedily inward, painting the throne room in a hellish light. His vision swam dizzily. Everyone was relying on him, and he was failing them. He couldn't help them, not like this.

"This is where your path ends, Fool."

"Not... on my watch!" Julian forced himself to his knees, struggling against the roaring flames.

"Don't you know when you've been beaten? Stay down, and I'll make this quick. Like Ryuhiko is finally doing."

Even without a body, Julian wasn't immune to the searing heat. He let out a ragged scream. Nonetheless, the doctor got to his feet. He took a step. Then another. Bit by bit, he pushed through the wall of flame, his hand outstretched. His fingers just barely brushed Ryuhiko's arm. Then, with a great effort, he lunged forward, closing the distance.

"Got you!" Julian said.

As soon as his hand landed on Ryuhiko's shoulder, the pain abruptly lessened, even as Julian bit down on a pained cry. In the dark, a light flickered under Ryuhiko's skin. It was barely an ember, flickering weakly, but it was there.

"Ryuhiko! Ilya!" With a fierce yell, Portia hurled herself through the flames and toward them. Her hand landed solidly over Ryuhiko's, where it had curled into a vise around a rope.

"Bah! No goat is getting the better of me!" Mazelinka heaved herself upright, roaring as she battled toward them.

Asra's silence spell broke, and the wind came wailing in, churning the flames into a raging vortex around them. But Asra himself clawed his way through, determination blazing in his eyes. "Ryu, you can do this! We can do this!"

Nazali and Nadia hung on to each other as they struggled upright.

"Come on, Dia! Can't let them have all the fun!" Nazali said.

"I wasn't planning on it!" Nadia replied.

One by one, Ryuhiko's friends fought their way to his side, surrounding him. As they lay their hands on his back, his shoulders, his arms, the pain subsided. They shared it, just as they shared their power. Light blazed under his skin, seven different auras melding into a single, blazing beacon.

"How? How are you doing this? You're weak! Mortal!" The Devil screamed. "I can crush you with a thought! So why won't you just die?!" He rose from his throne, a towering figure painted in flame and shadow.

With his terrible claws, he grasped the golden ropes. They blackened, transmuting back into chains. It felt like a sickeningly oily claw, slowly closing around Ryuhiko's heart. But the Devil couldn't break their bonds by force. Magic radiated down their hands, and the Devil's corruption flaked away like ash, revealing the ropes once more.

"No... No! It is my realm! I am the master here! I cannot be defeated! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!"

The Devil howled in fury, and the realm howled with him. The arches writhed at impossible angles, growing eyes and teeth as they speared down toward them. Geysers of blood erupted through the floor, cracking the dais and painting the walls with lurid red. But together, they were powerful, more so than he was.

Light coruscated across the ropes, and they surged forward all at once. They wrapped around the Devil, binding his arms, his legs, his torso. Then, the terrible heat abated. So did the pain, leaving Ryuhiko gasping for air in its wake.

"Ryuhiko, what... what's happening?" Julian asked.

Wherever the ropes touched, white spread across the Devil's body. Though the Devil raged, the realm crashing down around them, he couldn't stop it. He was turning to stone.

"You haven't won! You will never win! I'll get out, even if it takes a thousand—a million years!" The Devil screamed. "You will regret the day you thought to oppose me! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I WILL—"

Before he could tell them what he would do, his face seized, petrified into a hideous snarl. Abruptly, the realm fell silent. The flames extinguished, the wind died out, and the ground stilled. Ryuhiko looked up into the Devil's frozen visage. The stone radiated fury, a silent howl promising vengeance.

"And when that day comes, and you escape... someone just like us will be here to stop you. You can be sure of that." Ryuhiko said. He stepped back. Then exhaustion caught up to him, all at once. He swayed, his head spinning, and his legs buckled.

"Whoa, take it easy, Ryuhiko!" Portia scolded. He was supported and steadied by six pairs of hands as everyone gathered close to him.

"Ryuhiko... my love. You did it. _We_ did it." Julian said gently.

He looked up at the exhausted, triumphant faces around him and managed to smile. "Let's go home."

Then the world went black.

When Ryuhiko came to, there was the sensation of movement and the comforting scent of Julian. Against his ear was the steady thumping of a heartbeat, the sure rise and fall of a chest as they breathed. Then a few jolts as sounds overtook the ringing in his ears. Laughter and chatter, undertoned with worry even if what they were talking about didn't reflect it. A soft groan left his lips as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position. He slowly opened his eyes, blurs of red hair obscuring the velvet blues and purples of the sky beyond.

"Hey. Are you finally awake?" A voice asked. Julian's voice, he put together quickly as everything came into focus.

"Mm? Am I crazy, or am I really seeing an angel?" Ryuhiko asked after a moment of trying to figure out how to speak.

Julian laughed, music to his ears, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "There's no angel here except you."

"You can't accept a compliment, can you? Julian, I swear to God, when I'm fully awake, I'll kick your ass."

"At least you're okay. You scared us."

"Ilya especially! He was practically bawling." Portia said. "And when he saw that burn on your back... Yikes."

"Pasha, that's not true!"

"No, that sounds pretty accurate." Asra agreed. "But we were all worried. How do you feel?"

"I didn't mean to worry you... Or pass out." Ryuhiko yawned. "I'm still tired."

"Considering what you went through, I think you've earned the rest."

He leaned up and pressed a kiss to Julian's lips. "Alright, put me down now."

"As you wish." Julian set him down and made sure he was steady. "I'll carry you anytime you need."

"I think I'm more partial to carrying you." He took his hand and tangled their fingers together. "Hey, Ilya? I love you."

"I love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> Ryuhiko's story will continue soon. Ish. Soonish.


End file.
